Over the past 6 months Kinsale Community School have been building links with UCC through the Hub in Active European Citizenship. Mrs Houlihan and Ms Hedderman have been developing content with Dr Philip Murphy and Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan from UCC’s Government and Politics Department. The Hub was officially launched in UCC on Monday the 21st of November and students and staff from Kinsale Community School presented their work on global citizenship and what it means to them to be European to over 430 students and staff from schools in Cork.

 The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, and Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Deirdre Forde launched the Hub and its collaborations with Cork City Council. Also in attendance were the Consuls of France and Belgium as well as the Ambassador of Belgium. Students from Kinsale Community school’s TY Politics & Society, Model UN and Global Citizenship Education modules attended the launch alongside Ms Hedderman, Mrs O Brien and Mrs Houlihan. President of UCC, Professor John O Halloran opened proceedings and there were also talks from Kilmurray National School, Young Social Innovators, Dr Emmanuelle Schon-Quinlivan and Simon Coveney. Maltida Korn, Roise O’Donovan, Rebecca Beecher and Fionn Lichtsinn from Kinsale Community school presented alongside Mrs Houlihan and were incredible ambassadors for the school.

The Hub will be a brilliant resource for students and teachers across Ireland. From primary level, through secondary to third level, this Hub will become the centre of collaboration, creativity, teaching, training, and research on the best ways to empower our youngest citizens with the knowledge and skills required to engage on European issues. Kinsale Community School will be working closely with Dr Emmanuelle Schon Quinlivan and Dr Philip Murphy who will pilot lessons with our students in conjunction with Discuss Argue and Build (DAB) the EU which will be the new post primary programme, to follow on from the hugely successful primary programme My (Big Friendly Guide) BFGtoEU. The four pillars of the Hub are:

1. Teaching & learning about Ireland and the EU

2. Training on active European citizenship

3. Research on how to teach about active European citizenship

4. Community events

The Hub brings together primary and secondary schools as well as academic colleagues to forge teaching, learning and training through active European citizenship rather than for it. The hub aims to empower young citizens and show them their potential at the local, national and European level. 

The programme content which is currently in development will be launched nationwide early next year with KCS supporting through session development, feedback on resources from teachers and students. We look forward to developing this link further over the coming months.